Magical Malls in the 1980s

When I go to the malls now—I’m honestly bored. The stores are overpriced name brands of things I’m not interested in. I find it’s mostly just trendy high designer shops that I can’t afford. But, it’s also that the stores all seem the same. There is a generic feeling when walking in the mall as I window shop. Nothing really strikes me as interesting. Sure, the stores try to set themselves apart from each other, but somehow they all blend in to one another. Even the food court seems boring. They have a train for kids that runs through the mall and that is the only interesting thing I’ve seen. I used to ride on it with my friend’s son and it was pretty fun. Other than that—malls today are not like that of the 1980s. For one thing—the malls today are super bright, and have a pristine feel to them. Everything is structured in this orderly manner that feels stifling.

When I used to go the malls in the 1980s it was primarily the Northridge Mall, Topanga Plaza or The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks. Two of these malls were right in the Valley which was popular in the 80s. I had also frequented the Sherman Oaks Galleria , which was really fun. I remember taking a ‘ditch day’ in high school and heading to the beach and then to the Sherman Oaks Galleria with some friends. We had a blast. The Galleria was known for three levels, and rows and rows of stores. The food court was bright, lively and many places to choose to eat. There was an arcade that looked like a mini amusement park. The arcades in the malls during the 80s were great, because you felt like you were transported someplace else. It was very dark inside, with neon lights all around, which gave it a secret cave kind of feel. You’d put your dollar into the change machine and get your ‘tokens’ out. The sound of the clinking tokens as they slid out into the metal tray sounded as if you’d won money in a casino. You’d then take your tokens and slip them into numerous arcade games such as Donkey Kong, Frogger, Dig Dug, Centipede and Tempest. You’d play on colorful joysticks and just hear the amazing sound effects while playing games.

When you were done with the arcade, you could go sip some fountain drinks and have something to eat in the food court. The food court was the place to socialize and gossip while enjoying some delicious pizza. Shopping was equally fun as each store was unique and the storefronts were really interesting. Each storefront had its own appeal that was colorful, bold and bright. There was a lot of wood on the signs or storefronts of the clothing stores, which made it seem you had stepped into a brightly lit mineshaft of some sort. The letters of the signs were structured boldly and artistically. I think the designs of the stores was as interesting as the stores themselves. The colors were on the dark side in the malls—browns, woods, oranges, and forest greens. There was something comforting and homelike about those colors that made you feel you were at home. There were usually tons of fake trees and plants placed randomly in the mall, along with fountains. This gave it a lush, tropical feel.

The malls were not really carpeted in those days. You’d walk down wooden floors, or some kind of tile flooring, and the stores had lots of wood storefronts with bright orange neon signs advertising sales. I always thought the malls in the 80s reminded me of movie sets. Each storefront had an interesting appeal, with some having art deco signs. Some malls have been known for having carousels in them, which makes malls combined with the arcade seem like an amusement park. So between reminding me of movie sets and some fun amusement park—malls were really fun to go to in the 80s. Everything was bright, interesting and fun to look at. Clothes were just as bold in the window and on the racks. The 80s was a time of daring, fun and wild fashion—so shopping was exciting. I would always look for accessories to pair with my outfits, and interesting tops and clothes to wear. When I went shopping, I had a place in mind to go when buying things—pool parties, the beach, house parties, dance clubs or out with friends. This made shopping even more fun. I knew the clothes I bought were going to be used for socializing with friends. Clothes were made so big and bold, it was fun trying things on. Everything was big, colorful and daring—so you could wear extreme styles and make it your own. From big hair to wild make up—it was a fun time to shop at the mall.

Now, I just walk by missing the stores of the 80s. I walk in the mall now hoping to feel something—a spark of some sort—but it’s mostly just walk in buy something and leave. There isn’t really a thrill like there was in the 80s. I really miss the malls of the 80s. I miss the fun, free wild times. Maybe part of it is because I was younger and carefree, but I really think things were big, bold and a lot more interesting back then. The 80s had a way of defining things, and made simple things really fun—such as shopping at the mall. The 80s were so awesome—like totally.